If you have made the decision to move out, or your tenancy is coming to an end, it’s important to start thinking about how to get your full deposit back. To help with this, we have developed this guide to support you during what can be a stressful process and to make it as simple as possible instead.
1. Start when you move in
Preparing to get your deposit back starts on day one.
Before you agree to move in you need to check the tenancy agreement you’re asked to sign carefully. This will outline what you’re required to do when you leave. A good example of this is being asked to leave the property cleaned to a professional standard. You might also be required to remove all rubbish from the property. If you don’t meet the requirements you could end up being charged.
Equally important is an inventory. The landlord, agent or property manager should provide you with one of these when you move in – if they don’t, request one straight away. This will clearly show the condition of the property when you started to live there. If anything is incorrect, let them know so it can be updated accordingly and to avoid you being charged. This inventory will be essential when it comes to any disputes around damage or cleanliness when you leave.
We would also recommend taking your own photos and videos of the property as soon as you move in. You could also invite the landlord around to view the property and identify anything they consider to be an issue.
2. Moving out
If you are living in a shared property it’s probably a good idea to start planning for moving a few weeks in advance, after all there will be a few people to co-ordinate!
The starting point will be to check key documents:
- Tenancy agreement
- Inventory
These will give you a clear idea of what your responsibilities are and exactly what the place you have lived in was like at the start of the year.
Doing this will help you identify potential issues as early as possible. This gives you a chance to fix them, either yourself or by contacting the landlord if needed. Fixing issues yourself is likely to be much cheaper, while providing early notice to the landlord will give you an opportunity to discuss potential solutions, rather than getting written notification once you have left.
3. Damage
The main thing that will eat into your tenancy deposit is any damage that you or your housemates have done to the property.
Some damage could be classed as ‘wear and tear’ and it’s usual this will occur from simply living in the property. A good example of this is the carpet in the entrance hall – it’s likely to wear just because people walk on it. The landlord is not able to charge you for ‘wear and tear’.
However, damage is something caused by the people living in the property. It can be deliberate or accidental. Sometimes damage is caused by neglect or negligence. For instance, accidental damage would happen if someone spills a coffee on a carpet. In this case the landlord would be able to charge for a repair.
It’s recommended to try and rectify these issues yourself where possible or flag to the landlord as soon as they happen rather than leaving this to the end of your tenancy.
4. Before you leave
Make sure you do everything required in the tenancy agreement you signed all those months ago. You can even address and fix any smaller areas of damage and bring any bigger issues to the attention of the landlord, so that you can agree on a solution.
If you’re pressed for time or are concerned you might struggle to thoroughly clean the property, you can find and contact local independent rated cleaners for free with Maid.
Additionally, you should also take final metre readings. Take a photo of these and provide contact details for the suppliers to send a final bill. This will also help you to avoid being charged for the next tenants’ usage.
Finally, remove anything that should not be there – that includes making sure the fridge, freezer and cupboards in the kitchen are empty as well as cleaned to the standard required in the tenancy agreement.
If you are throwing things away, do so responsibly and in a way that is considerate to your neighbours – don’t just pile up bags of rubbish outside the house! It’s a good idea to have a ‘clear out’ before you move too as it’s likely you will have accumulated more stuff over the year. Some cities, like Bristol, provide collection points for students to take large volumes of rubbish at the end of their tenancy. Alternatively, items worth donating can be taken to the charity shop.
5. Dealing with disputes
If you have followed our guidance, there should not be any disputes with the landlord over the return of your tenancy deposit. However, if there is, here are a few things to be aware of.
If the landlord wants to charge you for anything, they will need to put this in writing. Your letting agent is legally required to provide you with their contact details, if you request them.
If you don’t agree either with the damage or the cost the landlord wants to charge you can dispute that with them directly. A common example is landlords charging for cleaning. It’s worth getting your own quotes to check what the landlord has stated is reasonable.
The ideal outcome is that you can come to an agreement and move on. However, if you can’t then you might need to use a dispute resolution service.
When the landlord takes a deposit from you, in most cases they are legally required to protect the deposit in a tenancy deposit scheme. They are also required to tell you which scheme they have used. Each scheme has a dispute resolution service that can assist in resolving disputes.
6. Moving your things
When it comes to moving out, many students ask either friends or parents to help with moving their things. You may also have your own car which you can use. However, there are some handy services like Man and Van The App which enable you to get cheap quotes from local independent rated drivers. All that’s left to do is book and pay online – it’s really simple!
7. Your new home!
The next time you need to find student accommodation and start searching on Accommodation for Students, remember to check any tenancy agreements you are required to sign and to ask for an inventory when you move in!